By Harry Eddolls
The final of the Grand Slam of Darts lit up the stage at the WV Active in Wolverhampton on Sunday night.
The 2023 champion Luke Humphries faced a familiar foe in defending champion and newly crowned world number one Luke Littler, who was looking to become the first player to successfully defend the Eric Bristow Trophy since Gerwyn Price in 2019.
The Nuke made a good start, holding before breaking to establish an early 2-0 lead. That wouldn’t last however. Humphries stormed through the rest of the session, including a 100 out in the fifth leg, to turn the game on its head and go into the first break leading 3-2.
Cool Hand extended his run to four legs at the start of the second session, before Littler stopped the rot, winning the next three legs in a row to re-establish the lead. He couldn’t take it into the second break however, as Humphries found another ton plus out, this time a 112, to leave the game locked at 5-5.
He came out into the third session well, breaking then holding to go back into the lead 7-5. That hold began a run of four in a row, which left Humphries in a slender 8-7 lead going into the next break.
In leg 16, Littler was able to break throw with a huge 167 out. The pair then traded holds for three legs, before a huge moment came in leg 20. The Nuke found another break, pinning a 160 out with his opponent left on double two, to increase his lead to 11-9 at the fourth break.
The pair traded holds after the break, before the game began to get away from Humphries. Littler won three straight legs to go into the fifth and final break 15-10 up and on the brink of defending the title.
Cool Hand held to start the final session, but was only delaying the inevitable. Littler pinned 96 in three darts in the next leg to secure a 16-11 victory, and cap off becoming world number one by winning a staggering eighth major title, while successfully defending one for the first time.